


Prevailing Winds

by OfficialVolga



Series: The Chronicles of a Modern Magus [1]
Category: LOZ - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Zelda - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, M/M, Rating May Change, VaaLink - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-08
Updated: 2015-05-05
Packaged: 2018-03-10 21:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3304772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfficialVolga/pseuds/OfficialVolga
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vaati is a Minish Immigrant, from the (quite literally) small town within the depths of the Woods. Link has lived in Kakariko City for most of his life, content with studying at the University.</p>
<p>However, Vaati has a bit of trouble learning to fit in with the Hylians, and so, after a mishap in which Link finds the Mage alone on the campus, he decides to teach him the ropes. To which Vaati agrees, begrudgingly.</p>
<p>Link now finds himself entrapped in a web of questions that surround the mysterious man, and his perpetual cold-shoulder treatment towards Link.</p>
<p>Who is he? And why does he seem only too happy to push others away?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

~Vaati~

 

      Once a century, easily a good ten years of his life, that was when a whole new world opened up. The land of Giants, seemed so unfathomable from where he now stood. Puddles, once a hazard, were going to be little more than an inconvenience, insects, once threatening, would be irritating, at worst. It was dazzling to think about, a fresh start, a chance to move away from the City hidden deep within the Woods, a chance to make something of himself.

 

      He’d begun packing a week beforehand, with Ezlo’s lectures about foresight ringing in his ears, everything he could carry in the short amount of time allotted. Despite his Master’s harsh words, and ever-presence veneer of sternness, he felt as though he’d made his old teacher proud. Staring down at the journal clutched in his padded palms, the Minish sighed, somewhat wistfully, at the childish scrawl across the cover. proclaiming the owner to be the one and only Vaati Mournwood.

 

      It had felt like only months ago that he’d found himself in the old Mage’s care, and this, being one of the first gifts he’d ever received, was something he treasured. The outside had been bound, rebound, stitched and re-stitched countless times, with new reams added, and damaged ones replaced, it no longer looked like the one he’d been given. But at the core, it still held that essence of decades past. Well, in it went, with everything else he was taking.

 

      A hundred years ago, he’d been far too young to even consider moving to Hyrule, a mere teenager of one hundred and fifty years of age. He had been weak then, inexperienced in even the simplest spells; now? he held mastery of the wind, the breath of Nature itself. With his exodus into their world on the rise, it felt as if he was taking in air before a leap into the unknown, exhilarated, frightened, but all too willing to throw himself into unfamiliarity.

 

      With supplies packed, the Minish set off, for perhaps the last time, down the familiar, winding paths towards the tree-stump, with its familiar split in the top. The ground-level entrance, little more than a hole carved by the industrious hands of his folk, resonated with the arcane forces brought to life by time. He was nervous, yes, but not afraid. If anything, the portal seemed to welcome him into its inner chamber, sucking him through the massive slice of sky in a whirlwind of ancient magery.

 

      With a harsh slam that left the Wind Mage dazed, the portal had roughly deposited him on the trunk, which now seemed less like a mighty structure of old, and more like a stump. The corpse of a tree, felled by weather, and repurposed to act as an entryway to Hyrule, but a stump nonetheless.

 

      With a deep breath, he looked to the sky, and took in a simple fact.

  
He was _free_.


	2. Prologue (Link)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How hard could Uni possibly be? Harder than Link thinks, apparently. Even harder when he's assigned to helping an immigrant adjust to Hylian society, a very ungrateful, rude, and unpleasant immigrant, at that.

~Link~

 

      Gods, he was going to be late for class at this rate. The adjustment program had seemed like such a good idea when he'd discovered it; how many opportunities would he have to talk to one of the strange little folk of the Woods? Once in a hundred years, quite _literally_. He doubted he'd be alive for the next opening of the gateway between 'his' world, and theirs, so he might as well take in the experience the best he could. But with his phone politely informing him that his charge was nearly _15 minutes late_ , the Hylian was losing hope. Had something happened?

 

      The entrance to the Woods seemed to yawn out at him, a verdant, green tunnel of leaves and vines, inviting him to enter its veritable labyrinth, to become lost amongst the vibrant colors, never to emerge again. The thought made him feel weak; what if that was what'd happened? The stranger he was supposed to be caring for,  _lost._ That was an unsettling thought, if he had to be honest. But what could he do, besides...

"Don't tell me... I'm gonna have to go in there, aren't I?"

 

      Fantastic, absolutely  _fantastic,_ five minutes into the Woods, and he was already turned around. Link swore lowly to himself as he stumbled over yet  _another_ unseen branch; a clearing,  _great,_ at least he could see the sky, here. The wonder at seeing the window of bright blue, framed by the viridian of the forest, was something he didn't have time to revel in, as the sound of faint laughter snapped him out of his reverie. Seated upon an old, wide stump, was quite possibly the _strangest_ person he had ever come across, clad in violet robes, with an old, obviously handmade trunk seated at his feet, was someone he couldn't  _quite_ figure out who he was looking at.

"Lost, are you not?"

      Thickly accented, but  _certainly masculine_ in sound, there was little doubt as to who this was, if his sharply defined, alien features weren't already a dead giveaway. But if he so obviously knew his way around, then what was he doing, just sitting here?

" _What, you never seen Minish, before?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been nearly a month since this fics been updated, well, shit. Sorry about the wait, school's been pushing the hell out of me and it's left me without much of a motivation for anything.


	3. Atrophy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How does one deal with a sudden shift in anatomy? Not very well, apparently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Layout update: No more separation of Link and Vaati's perspectives in respective chapters. Instead, they're going to be a single, long chapter that switches between green nerd and windy man.

~Vaati~

 

      Soft laughter, like the muted clang of chimes, escaped unfamiliar lips, and even _he_ was surprised by the silvery sounds, so different from his old voice, in fact, he found he liked it even better. Though that wasn't to say he liked every aspect of his new form; sure, the world he had emerged from was nowhere to be seen, but the dizzying, new heights gave the Mage a sense of vertigo that refused to leave, even as he gave his head a light shake. But from up here, he could see the plain bewilderment on the Hylian's face, understandable, considering how off-kilter the situation seemed, but hilarious nonetheless.

Patting the straps of his pack lightly, the pseudo-human gave his tongue a click, catching the attention of the now-irritated blond.

"What's with the face? Were you _worried?_ " He snickered, much to the younger male's chagrin. "You are lucky I didn't leave you behind. You'd be lost in here. _Forever_. **_Maybe_**. Come then, let's go, unless you want to be stuck here."

Bold words, and even bolder was the way he stood to dust himself off, a maddening air of superiority coloring his actions. Until an _odd tremor_ seemed to quake its way through his legs. Was he shrinking, again? Or was the ground coming closer?

* * *

 

~Link~

 

      By the Three, he hadn't even gotten his name, and Link was already irritated by the newcomer's grating words. But his anger was swiftly stayed by the glint of childlike wonder that flitted through those gorgeous eyes..? Gorgeous? The blond frowned at the thought; well, that wasn't to say this man wasn't attractive, but pretty seemed an odd descriptor, but a fitting one. Standing, the Minish wasn't any taller than he was by any noticeable amount, with long hair that trailed down the sides of his face, and down his back in unbroken sheets of lavender, further accentuating a form that would have been graceful...

If not for the fact that he was falling.

With a curse that would have left his mother cringing, he jerked forward, supporting the (admittedly) light Mage by the shoulders, before gently bringing him down to the ground, observing with no small amount of fascination the range of emotions that ran through the foreigner's face. Anger at being touched, shock at the turn of events,  _bemusement_ as he opened his mouth to speak, before closing it.

"Are... Are you okay?"

Whatever answer he'd been expecting to receive, it certainly wasn't 'What do you think, **_idiot?!'_**

What answer had he received?

"What do you think,  ** _idiot?!"_** Spat with as much venom as the Mage could muster.

 

 _This was going to be a long, long day,_ the blond bemoaned, wordlessly heaving the catty stranger to his feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unintentional Hiatus, or as it should really be called: Vol forgets her ao3 credentials, suffers from writer's block, and finally beat Minish Cap, at the same time.
> 
> Yay.
> 
> On the plus side, the last bit got me more well-informed on the MC version of Hyrule, so there's that.
> 
> ALSO A BIG THANK YOU TO THE ONES LEAVING WONDERFUL COMMENTS AND KUDOS, YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME <3


End file.
